Apparatus for loading cartridge syringe units into an index table



Feb. 17, 1970 w, A, -n ETAL 3,495,695

APPARATUS FOR LOADING CARTRIDGE SYRINGE UNITS INTO AN INDEX TABLE Original Filed Dec. 10, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 4c I i: 5- i 28 I 24 4o 4' Z 27 v Q-- 30 34 as 2/ III III INVENTORS m] JOSEPH H. GETTIG WILLIAM menus ATTORNEY r Feb. I? 1970 w, T-11 ETAL I 3,495,695

APPARATUS FOR LOADING CARTRIDGE SYRINGE UNITS INTO AN INDEX TABLE Original Filed Dec. 10, 1965 r 4 Sheets-Sheet a IN VEN TDRS JOSEPH H- GETTIG WILLIAM A-GETTIG ATTORNEY A! W. A. GETTIG ET AL Feb, w, 170

APPARATUS FOR LOADING CARTRIDGE SYRINGE UNITS INTO AN INDEX TABLE Original Filed Dec. 10, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet mm Om INVENTORS JOSEPH H GETTIG WILLIAMILGETTIG ATTORNEY- Feb. 17, 1970 3,495,695

APPARATUS FOR LOADING CARTRIDGE SYRINGE nuns INTO AN INDEX TABLE Original Filed D60. 10, 1965 w. A. GETTIG ET AL 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 f ll :5

INVENTORS JOSEPH H- GETTI'G WILLIAM A.GETTI G ATTOIRNEY 3,495,695 APPARATUS FOR LOADING CARTRIDGE SYRINGE UNITS INTO AN INDEX TABLE William A. Gettig, Millheim, and Joseph H. Gettig, Boalsburg, Pa., assignors to American Home Products Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application Dec. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 513,136, now

Patent No. 3,391,518. Divided and this application Feb. 20, 1968, Ser. No. 726,628

Int. Cl. B65g 25/08 US. Cl. 19824 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for loading cartridge syringe units from a hopper in which they are stored horizontally, to an index table in which the units are maintained vertically, with their open tops facing upwardly. The units are thus positioned properly to permit breech-filling with medicament, then breech-stoppering, and finally unloading at different stations located around the index table.

This application is a division of our US. application Ser. No. 513,136, which was filed Dec. 10, 1965, and is now US. Patent No. 3,391,518.

This invention relates generally to the production of hypodermic-needle cartridge-syringe units filled with a therapeutic drug or medicament. More particularly, the invention pertains to an apparatus for loading hypodermic-needle cartridge syringe units into an index table prior to the breech-filling said hypodermic-needle cartridge-syringe units with liquid medicament and thereafter introducing into each of the liquid-containing cartridges thereof, the usual reciprocable dispensing and as pirating plunger to thereby form the final medicamentfilled hypodermic-needle cartridge-syringe assemblies usable in suitable syringes for parenteral administering of the drug.

Of the many kinds of hypodermic syringe assemblies obtainable commercially, those of the type referred to as cartridge-syringe units have become widely accepted and used by the medical profession. The cartridge-syringe unit generally comprises a transparent cartridge containing an injectable material, a hypodermic needle permanently affixed to one end of the cartridge, and, in the other end thereof, in fluid-tight relationship with the interior surface of the cartridge, a reciprocal plunger or stopper, to which is attachable a push rod, whereby the injectable material, may be forced out of the cartridge and through the needle. The use of glass for the transparent cartridge has been conventional in most applications due primarily to its optimum transparency, susceptibility to cleaning and sterilization, and its inertness to the liquid medicaments contained in the cartridges. It has similarly been conventional that the hypodermic needle be stainless steel of a grade and composition which is impervious to known medicaments.

These known cartridge-syringe units comprising a glass ampule and a metal hypodermic needle have usually had these two elements affixed to each other by the crimping of a metal ferrule having the needle or cannula affixed thereto, to an end of the glass tube or ampule which is contoured or beaded for that purpose. However, prior to the final affixing of the ferrule (with needle attached) to said beaded open end of the glass tube, the plunger or stopper, which is conventionally of resilient and compressible material and has a normal diameter greater than the interior diameter of the tube to thereby provide the requisite fluid-tight sealing of the tube in all positions of the plunger therein, may be inserted into the tube via the opposite open end thereof. With this general mode U nited States. Patent "ice of assembly, a comparatively simple procedure is available for filling the tube of the cartridge-syringe unit with medicament. Thus, the described mode of assembly permits filling of the tube via the beaded open end thereof, prior to closure of the tube with the needle-ferrule assembly, and after the tube is positioned substantially upright with the beaded open end uppermost, since the plunger then functions as the fluid-tight bottom closure for the tube. Thereafter, there are no unsolvable problems involved in positioning the needle-ferrule unit over the upper open beaded end of the filled tube and permanently aflixing the unit to the tube by the aforementioned crimping operation. The needle is normally provided with the usual removable sheath conventionally of rubber, for the purpose of retaining the needle in aseptic condition and assuring that its sharp point is undamaged prior to use of the cartridge-syringe unit.

While the above method is the one in widest use for assembling these cartridge-syringe units, there are known drawbacks inherent in this mode of assembly. For example, the method requires very close control of the dimensions of the glass tube with respect to the contoured or beaded end to which the metal ferrule is to be crimped. This in itself is very costly. The method also requires the machining of the metal ferrules to micro-tolerances. This adds further to the cost of manufacture. Moreover, at assembly, the metal ferrules must be sealed with rubber gaskets, diaphragms, washers, or the like to render the units completely fluid-tight. Another drawback of the method is that slight variations in the piece to piece units, when handled in extremely large quantities, creates great inspection problems. As a result, failure to detect and eliminate off-size pieces results in a high percentage of breakage of the glass ampules, loss of ferrules, loss of cannulae, loss of medicaments, and loss due to work stoppage.

In our co-pending US. patent application Ser. No. 215,819, filed Aug. 9, 1962, now US. Patent No. 3,247,- 850, there are described and claimed both a novel hypodermic-needle cartridge-syringe unit and a method of assembling such unit which eflfectively eliminate the recognized disadvantages of the mode of assembling cartridge-syringe units referred to immediately above. Generally, the novel cartridge-syringe assembly as described in said patent, comprises a glass ampule, a metal hypodermic needle, and a substantially rigid plastic ferrule, wherein the ferrule is mounted at one end of the ampule and the hypodermic needle, is mounted in the ferrule and in communication with the interior of the ampule, and a set adhesive permanently retains the ampule, the metal hypodermic needle, and the plastic ferrule in the stated relationship.

It will appear at once that the conventional method of first stoppering, then filling the ampule of the prior art cartridge-syringe unit structures, and thereafter afiixing the hypodermic needle and ferrule sub-assembly thereto, is not applicable to cartridge-syringe units of the type described in our aforesaid US. Patent No. 3,247,850 and with which we are presently concerned. The reason for the inapplicability is based in the fact that the assemblage of the ampule, hypodermic needle and plastic ferrule requires the application of an adhesive which must then become set to provide the required permanent retention of the parts. Because of this, new problems arise with respect to the necessary application of a fiowable adhesive over the surfaces of the parts to be joined, while assuring that the adhesive does not contaminate the liquid medicament already in the tube or ampule. There is an increased problem when the adhesive is of the thermosettable type due to the necessary application of heat, since high temperature heating, particularly when prolonged, is injurious to most liquid medicaments.

The obvious attempt at a solution to the above problem would appear to reside in merely filling the ampule from the other end, i.e., by breech-filling, after the attachment of the tube with the sheath-provided needleferrule unit by means of the adhesive has been completed. Unfortunately, this raises a more serious problem, since it has not been possible heretofore to insert the stopper or plunger in proper fluid-tight relationship within a tube or ampule and adjacent the upper level of the liquid medicament therein, because of the trapping of a column of air between said liquid level and the stopper as soon as the latter is in fluid-tight relationship with the internal surfaces of the tube upon insertion of the stopper therein.

In consideration of the foregoing, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a process and apparatus for breech-filling and thereafter stoppering preassembled hypodermic-needle cartridge-syringe units of the type described, by a highly efficient and substantially fully automatic operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a process and apparatus for processing said cartridge-syringe units that employ a series of operations as the units are transported from the location at which they are loaded to the machine through the final discharge of the medicament-filled and properly stoppered cartridge-syringe units.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the type described wherein the requisite operations are performed at separate stations located over a single rotatable index table.

It is another object of the invention wherein the operations are separated and sequentially performed at a loading station, a filling station, a stopper-inserting station, and an unloading station through which the index table rotates.

Still another object is to provide common driving means for operating the mechanisms of the loading station, the filling station, the stopper-inserting station, and the unloading station, as well as rotation of the index table, in a synchronous manner.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the type referred to above wherein the arrangement of the structure performing all of the aforesaid functions permits them to be done in a highly efficient manner and yet occupies a minimum amount of space.

Yet another object is to provide a machine with a plurality of banks of stations all functioning simultaneously with respect to the same rotatable index table.

Still another object is to provide, for use in such apparatus of the type referred to herein, a loading station for feeding the hypodermic-needle cartridge-syringe units horizontally, one at a time, to the machine and inserting the units vertically onto the index table with the hypodermic-needles of said units disposed downwardly and hence, the open end of the ampules disposed upwardly.

The above, and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the description thereof which follows.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In its most comprehensive aspects, our invention relating to the breech-filling and plunger-stoppering of hypodermic-needle cartridge-syringe units, resides in the provision of a machine which comprises: a horizontally disposed rotatable index table, means for rotating the table intermittently, the table having means providing a plurality of vertically disposed receptacles mounted in circular array with each receptacle adapted to receive a single hypodermic-needle caltridge unit at a time with the needle thereof disposed downwardly; a loading station positioned at the table, the loading station comprising means for sequentially inserting a hypodermic-needle cartridge unit with the needle thereof downwardly disposed into one of the receptacles of the table after the table is rotated to position a given receptacle in operative relationship with the inserting means; a filling station positioned at the 4 table, the filling station comprising means for sequentially filling, with a medicament, the units positioned in the receptacles of the table by the loading means, after the table rotates to position a given receptacle in operative relationship with the filling station; a stopper-inserting station positioned at the table, the stopper-inserting station comprising means for sequentially inserting a stopper into the medicament-filled units in the receptacles of the table; and an unloading station positioned at the table, with the unloading station comprising means for sequentially removing medicament-filled and stoppered hypodermic-needle cartridge units from the receptacles of the table.

Preferably, the loading station comprises a hopper adapted to contain a plurality of hypodermic-needle cartridge units stacked horizontally with the needle ends thereof oriented in the same direction, and means for ejecting horizontally from the hopper a single cartridge unit at a time; a horizontally disposed rotatable index table, means for rotating the table in an intermittent manner, the table having means providing a plurality of vertically disposed receptacles mounted in circular array with each receptacle adapted to receive and retain a single hypodermic-needle cartridge unit at a time with the needle thereof disposed downwardly; a cartridge unit holder, means mounting the cartridge unit holder for movement from a horizontal position in alinement with the horizontal ejection means associated with the hopper for receiving a hypodermic-needle cartridge unit therefrom, to a vertical position in alinement with one of the receptacles of the index table; and means for ejecting a hypodermicneedle cartridge unit from the cartridge unit holder and into one of the receptacles with which it is aligned, when the cartridge unit holder is in vertical position.

A better understanding of the features of the invention referred to above, and of various other correlative features, will be had from the description of a specific embodiment of the invention described below. As will be understood, said specific embodiment is intended to be illustrative only and not to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the description that follows, reference is made to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention, various parts thereof being in vertical section taken along line 11 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the machine of FIG. 1 with parts of the top plate shown broken away to expose the internal gear structure;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper porltion of the machine of FIG. 1, shown on a larger sca e;

FIG. 4 is a still larger scale side elevation of the structure of the loading station shown in FIG. 1, exclusive of the associated hopper and feeding mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a View similar to that of FIG. 4, but With certain parts in vertical section; and

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the structure shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the section being taken on line 66 of the latter figure.

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE APPARATUS As appears in FIG. 1, the general arrangement of the embodiment 1 of the invention described herein comprises a base section 2 which functions to house the assembly of the prime mover 3 and driving mechanism 4 suspended from the underside of the upper horizontal wall 5 of section 2 by bolts 6 extending through a top wall 7 of driving mechanism 4. Base section 2 also functions to support a rotary index table 8 by means described hereinafter, as Well as the entire superstructure 9 via a stationary hollow pedestal 10. This superstructure 9, in turn, comprises a main mounting structure 11 for the camming cylinders 12, 13 and 14 and the related structures (FIG. 2) of the Loading Stations (No. 1),

the Filling Stations (No. 2) and the Stopper Inserting Stations (No. 3) as also described in detail hereinafter. Supported atop the main mounting structure 11 is an overhead gear box 18.

Operatively associated with each loading Station (No. 1) is a hopper 15, which is adapted to contain a plurality of empty, sterile hypodermic-needle cartridge-syringe units 19, and is equipped with cartridge-syringe unit delivery means 16, each of which structures are also described in detail hereinafter. Similarly, operatively associated with each Stopper-Inserting Station (No. 3) is a hopper 17, which is adapted to contain a plurality of resiliently compressible stoppers 250, and is equipped with delivery means 17'.

THE BASE SECTION HOUSING AND THE DRIVING MECHANISM THEREIN Base section 2 comprises a circumferential main supporting wall 21, a lower peripheral supporting foot 22 and the main supporting upper horizontal wall 5, which, as referred to previously, has suspended from its underside by the bolts 6 through its top wall 7, the prime mover 3 and driving mechanism assembly 4.

Driving mechanism 4 comprises a reduction gearing and intermittent drive box 23, having a structure of conventional design which comprises no part of the present invention. Drive box 23 is provided with a skirt 24 and a bearing hub 25 also of conventional design. The lower end of skirt 24 has an out-turned annular ledge 26 having a plurality of apertures 27 therethrough. Through each of apertures 27 extends a screw 28, the lower threaded ends of which are engaged in respective female-threaded apertures 29 in a gear housing plate 30 of inverted generally dish-shaped configuration. Gear housing plate 30 extends eccentrically at its right edge 30 as viewed in FIG. 1, for a purpose that will appear hereinafter. A gear housing closure plate 31 is attached to the lower periphery of gear housing plate 30 by means of a plurality of screws 32, only one of which appears in FIG. 1. As also appears in FIG. 1, closure plate 31 extends eccentrically to the right at 31' precisely in the manner as does gear housing plate 30 to mate therewith.

Gear housing plate 30' is provided with a centrally located bearing hub 33, which is in axial alignment with bearing hub 25 of drive box 23 and is provided with a conventional bearing race 34. Extending downwardly from the interior of drive box 23 and through hubs 25 and 33 and into the gear housing enclosed by plates 30 and 31, is a shaft 35. The latter has affixed to the lower end 35 thereof, for rotation therewith, a large gear 36, by means of a nut 37.

In the region defined by the eccentric extension of complementary gear housing plate 30 and 31, said plates are respectively provided with hearing hubs 38 and 39 having respective conventional races 40 and 40, a lock nut 41, and respective bearing closure plates 42 and 42 for maintaining a drive shaft 43 in rotative disposition. Shaft 43 has affixedly attached thereto, for rotation therewith, a pinion 44 which is maintained in meshing relationship with large gear 36. Shaft 43 is connected by means of coupling 45 to the drive shaft 46 of prime mover 3 which is supported on drive box 23 by means of bracket 47.

Supported by, and extending upwardly from, drive box 23 is said stationary hollow pedestal 10, which, as appears in FIG. 3, has extending therethrough a rotatable main drive shaft 48. The latter is also supported by drive box 23 in bearing means therein (not visible) and is drivingly connected via gears (not shown) in box 23, shaft 35, gear 36, pinion 44, and coupled shafts 43 and 46, to prime mover 3. Mounted on box 23 is a rotatable supporting platform 49, drivingly connected by means (not visible) to the intermittent reduction drive mechanism housed in box 23.

6 THE INTERMITTENTLY ROTATABLE INDEX TABLE Supported by and aflixed by screws 54 to intermittently rotatable platform 49, for rotation therewith, is an index table support comprising a plurality of radially extending webs 50 and having an outer configuration of a gen- Index table 8 is provided around its periphery with a plurality of equi-spaced apertures 56, each of a diameter dimensioned to receive therein the barrel 19 of a cartridge-syringe unit 19 in upright position. Each aperture 56 has associated therewith and therebelow, a laterally movable retaining bracket 57. Each retaining bracket 57 comprises a bifurcated stop member 58 (FIGS. 1, 9A-9C, and 10A-10C) the slot of which is of a configuration to removably retain the hub 19" of the unit 19, in a respective aperture '56. Each bifurcated stop member 58 has a lateral extension 59 thereof, by which it is adjustably mounted on a vertically disposed rod 60, by a set screw 61. Each rod 60 is fixedly attached to and suspended from one end of a horizontally slidable bar 62 reciprocally mounted in a guide member 63, which is in the form of a generally inverted U-shaped channel with the arms 64 turned inwardly to retain bar 62 in member 63. Afiixed to the other end of bar 62 is a cam roller wheel 65 which rides in a cam roller guideway chanel 66 provided in the top periphery of an annular wall 67, which is mounted on and affixed to top wall 5 by a circumferential flange or foot 68. Channel 66 is of sinuous configuration to cause inward movement of a given cam roller wheel 65 (towards the center of table 8) only when an associated aperture 56 with its respective retaining bracket 57 has moved to a position directly over a chute 69, which, as indicated in FIG. 2 is located at each Unloading Station (No. 4). When each aperture 56 moves to a position directly over a chute 69, the inwardly curved channel 66 guides the cam roller wheel 65 of the retaining bracket 57 associated with the given aperture 56 inwardly and with it the reciprocally slidable bar 62 on which a bifurcated stop member is carried, thereby to release the cartridge unit 19 from the aperture 56 and into the chute 69 therebelow.

THE GENERAL SUPERSTRUCTURE As seen in FIG. 3, the stationary pedestal 10 is of a reduced diameter at its entire upper portion thereby to form a supporting ledge 70 where the reduced diameter 10" and larger diameter 10" of pedestal 10 meet. Telescoped on pedestal 10 and resting with its bottom edge 71 on ledge 70 is the main mounting structure 11. Main mounting structure 11 is clamped on the ledge 70 of stationary pedestal 10 by means of a large nut 72 screwed 0n the threaded top end 10" of pedestal 10 to assure a non-rotative relationship of structure 11 on pedestal 10. Supported on a circumferential Wall 73 of main mounting structure 11 are bracket members 74 and 76 in each of which is respectively disposed, in vertical disposition, a separate camming cylinder 12 and 14, each of which is described individually hereinafter in the descriptions of the specific station with which each camming cylinder is operatively associated. A third bracket member and camming cylinder thereon, located at each Filling Station (No. 2) also referred to hereinafter, is not visible in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

Overhead gear box 18 comprises an upwardly facing generally dish-shaped plate 78 which is supported atop main mounting structure 11 by a depending cylindrical web 76 afiixed to the top wall of main mounting structure 11 by a peripheral foot 77. Dish-shaped plate 78 is provided with a central bearing hub 79 having a vertically disposed asperture 83 therethrough and a plurality of peripheral bearing hubs 80, one for each of Stations No. 1, 2 and 3, and each having a vertically disposed aperture 85 therethrough. circularly arranged in plate 78 inwardly of the peripheral bearing hubs 80 are a plurality of upwardly disposed bearing hubs 81, each having a lateral aperture 82 therethrough with the axis thereof intersecting that of a respective peripheral bearing hub 80.

Upper end of shaft 48 extends through a hub 79 and a bearing race 84 mounted therein, and terminates in a screw-threaded end 86. Clamped to the upper end of shaft 48, by a nut 87, is a bevel gear 88. Each of the hubs 81 is provided with a pair of bearing races 89, in each pair of which is rotatably mounted a horizontally disposed shaft 90. Each shaft 90 is maintained against axial displacement in its bearing races 89 by a larger pinion 91 afiixed to the inner end of the respective shaft 90 and a smaller outer pinion 92 affixed to the outer end of said shaft 90. Each of said larger pinions 91 is thus positioned in meshing engagement with bevel gear 88, while each of said small outer pinions 92 is positioned in meshing engagement with a corresponding pinion 92' each mounted on a vertical shaft 93 which extends through a respective pair of bearing races 94 in each of said hubs 80. The lower ends of vertical shafts 93 each have mounted thereon for rotation therewith, a respective coupling 95 by which each said vertical shaft 93 is drivingly joined to the shaft 97 on which a respective cam cylinder 12, 13 and 14 is mounted. These cam cylinders 12, 13 and 14 will be referred to in greater detail in the descriptions hereinafter of the respective Stations (Nos. 1, 2 and 3) with which each cylinder is operatively associated.

Each horizontal shaft 90, which is associated with the drive shaft 97 for the camming cylinder 12 of Loading Station (No. 1), is provided with an axial extension 96 for a purpose which appear in the description of said Loading Station (No. 1) now given below:

THE LOADING STATION NO. 1

Loading Station (No. 1) comprises a hopper adapted to be loaded via its open top 15 with a plurality of cartridge-syringe units 19 in horizontal disposition, each with the cannula-covered needle end 19" directed generally toward the main axis of the entire apparatus, as viewed in FIG. 2 and 3. The lower wall 98 of hopper 15 is inclined downwardly, from top to bottom, as viewed in FIG. 2, whereby the cartridge-syringe units 19 tend to gravitate toward the said bottom end of the interior of hopper 15, the exterior of which end is defined by Wall 99 shown in elevation in FIG. 3. At the lowermost point inside hopper 15 there is provided an ejection piston 100, which is capable of pushing one cartridge unit 19 at a time axially of itself in the direction to the main axis of the apparatus, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Piston 100 is coupled by a link 101 to a rack 102 which is mounted for lateral reciprocal movement, in the direction of the double-headed arrow a, by means of flanged rollers 103 on which the lower edge of rack bar 102 rides, an upper guide roller 104 which engages a smooth ledge 105 provided on rack bar 102 (FIG. 2), and a pinion gear 106, which meshes with the teeth 107 of rack bar 102. Pinion gear 106 'is aflixed to a shaft 108 mounted, on one end thereof, in a bearing aperture 109 provided in a bracket member 110, and at the other end, in a bearing aperture 111 in vertical end wall 99 of hopper 15. Bracket member 110 is afiixed to wall 99 of hopper 15 at 112. Also afiixed to shaft 108 for rotation therewith, is a smaller pinion 113. Pinion 113 in turn is in engagement with a second rack bar 114, which, in this case, is mounted for vertical reciprocation, in the direction of double-headed arrow 12, on flanged rollers 115 rotatably mounted on shafts 116 extending from vertical end wall 99 of hopper 15. The upper end of this second rack bar 114 has mounted thereon, as an extension thereof, a piston rod 117 which is coupled to a further extension piston rod 117'. The upper end of second piston rod 117', in turn, is connected for vertical movement therewith, to a slideable bar 118 maintained in a vertically disposed guide channel 119 of U-shaped cross-section (FIG. 2) and affixed to a circular plate 120' which is mounted on and forms the closure for a generally bell-shaped housing member 120.

Housing member 120 is affixed at its apical end wall 120" to the circumferential wall 78' of dish-shaped plate 78 of gear box 18. Axially aligned apertures 121 and 122 are respectively provided in circumferential wall 78 and apical end wall 120" of housing member 120 and have respectively mounted therein bearing members 123 and 124, through which, as best seen in FIG. 3, lateral extension 96 extends. Keyed to the end of lateral extension 96, within the space defined by housing member 120 and plate 120', is an eccentric wheel 125 provided on its distal surface with a peripherally disposed camming guideway 126. Affixed to the exposed surface of slidable bar 117 is a camming wheel 127, which, as also seen in FIG. 3, rides in guideway 126 of eccentric wheel 125. As will appear from the structure described, rotation of lateral shaft extension 96 and with it eccentric wheel 125, results in vertical reciprocation of bar 118 in guide channel 119, and, therewith, via piston rods 117 and 117', the vertical rack bar 114. Reciprocation of vertical rack 114 causes rotation of pinion 113 in one direction and then the other, and with it, larger pinion 106, whereby horizontal rack bar 102 is periodically reciprocated and with it ejection piston 100, thereby to eject a single cartridge unit 19 for each full rotation of eccentric wheel 125.

Integral with a bracket member 74', which is mounted on main support 11 by means of screws 128, is a cylinder housing 140 comprising a pair of laterally extending bearing plate mounts 129 and 130, respectively provided with bearing hubs 131 and 132 in which are respec tively retained bearing raceways 133 and 134 by means of closure plates 135 and 136. Extending through said raceways 133 and 134 are the ends of a shaft 137 to which is keyed the camming cylinder 12. The upper end of shaft 137 is coupled to shaft 93 by means of coupling 95, as referred to hereinbefore. Ca'mming cylinder 12 is provided with a pair of separately circumscribing channels 13 8 and 139 defining differing pathways for a purpose which will now appear.

Mounted on vertical wall 140' of cylinder housing 140, distally of the camming cylinder 12, by means of screws 141, is a rack housing 141 comprising a top plate 142, a. bottom plate 143, side plate members 144 and 141', and a proximal wall 145 abutting wall 140' of housing 140. The proximal wall 145 of housing 141 is provided with a vertical channel 146, 146 of generally squat T-shaped horizontal cross-sections, as appears in FIG. 6. Mounted in the lowermost region of wider channel 146 which extends downwardly to open out through bottom plate 143, is a reciprocable plate 147 of rectangular configuration having aflixed to the upper end thereof a shaft 148 on which is mounted a pair of rollers 149, which extend through a narrow vertical channel 151 in the distal vertical wall 140 of housing 140. Outer roller 149 is positioned to ride in lowermost camming channel 139 of camming cylinder 12. Inner roller 150 rides in narrower vertical channel 151 which functions as a guideway in which a third roller 152, mounted on a shaft 153 aflixed in the lower end of reciprocable plate 147, also rides to guide vertical reciprocation of said plate 147, as roller 149 moves vertically in response to the camming function of channel 139 as camming cylinder 12 is caused to rotate by shaft 137.

Atfixed to the lowermost end of plate 147 is a bifurcated horizontal extension 154. Afiixed to bottom plate 143, adjacent to extension 154, there is a depending bifurcated extension comprising bearing lugs 155. Depending lugs 155 have at their lowermost ends a pivot bearing 1-56 in which is mounted a pivot pin 157 attached to a hollow open-ended cylinder cartridge holder 158. The latter has in its media] region four apertures 159 into each of which extends the cartridge engaging finger 160 of a resilient clamping member 161 affixed at its other end 162 to the exterior surface of cartridge holder 158. The internal diameter of cartridge holder 158 is selected to accommodate the external diameter of the cartridge syringe units 19 to be handled by the apparatus 1.

The arrangement of the foregoing parts is such that, in the horizontal position of cartridge holder 158, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, said holder is axially aligned with the delivery means 16 of the hopper 15, as appears in FIG. 1. For moving hollow cartridge holders 158 to said horizontal position (and cyclically to the vertical position referred to hereinafter); the distal end of bifurcated horizontal extension 154 is provided with a pivot pin 165 on which is pivotally mounted, by an end thereof, a link 166. Link 166 has its other end pivotally attached by a pin 167 to the side surface of holder 158. As shown in phantom lines in F IG. 4, when channel 138 of rotating camming cylinder 12 causes roller 149 to descend to its lowermost position; the described linkage system between the vertically reciprocal bar 147 and cartridge holder 158 causes the latter to assume its vertical posi tion.

In the bottom closure plate 143 there is provided, axially of cartridge holder 158, when the latter is in its vertical position, an apertured hub 168. Mounted for vertical reciprocation through said hu'b 168, is an index table loading plunger 168, which on its upper end, is fixedly mounted on a vertically reciprocal rack 120, for movement therewith. Mounted in the upper portion of vertical channel 146 is a second reciprocal plate 171 which also at its upper end is provided with a shaft 172 on which are mounted a pair of axially aligned rollers 173, 174, the distal of which, in this instance is positioned in the upper camming channel 138 of cylinder 12, and the proximal of which is similarly confined in narrower vertical channel, as is a lowermost roller 175 similarly mounted on another shaft 176 afiixed to plate 171. Plate 171 has a pair of lateral extensions 177 which function as bearing mountings for a shaft 178 on which is rotatably mounted a pinion 179. Pinion 179 is maintained in meshing engagement with the teeth 170 of vertically reciprocable rack 170. Affixed to the interior surface of wall 145 is a second rack 180 of narrower width than channel 146' to permit free vertical movement therebeside of lateral extensions 177. As appears in FIGS. and r6, pinion 179 mounted on extensions 177 is in meshing engagement with rack 180.

As appears from the relationship of parts just described, upon vertical reciprocation of plate 171 downwardly as roller 173 is urged in such direction by channel 138, of cylinder 12, pinion 179 is caused to ride downwardly on fixed rack 1'80 and hence to rotate clockwise as viewed in FIG. 5. Such rotaton causes downward vertical reciprocation of movable rack 170 and with it loading plunger 169.

The relationship of the camming guideway 126 of eccentric 125 which actuates the feeding mechanism of hopper 15 and the two channels 138 and 139 in cylinder 12 are preferably selected that, upon rotation of said eccentric 125 and cylinder 12 by the common driving means, e.g. lateral shaft 90 with extension 96; the transfer plunger 100 of hopper 15, the positioning of the cartridge holder 158 with respect to the vertical and horizontal positions thereof, and the reciprocation of index table loading plunger 169, all go through related cycles, as indicated in the schematic representation in FIG. 11, in the section thereof identified as Station No. 1 Transfer of Cartridge Syringe Unit from Hopper to Machine.

THE OPERATION OF THE APPARATUS Prior to operation of the aparatus, hopper 15 is loaded with a plurality of empty, sterile cartridlge units 19, each furnished with its rubber cannaula sheath 19", to assure needle sterility and to seal what, during the filling and stoppering thereof by the apparatus, as described, will be the bottom of said unit. The cartridge units 19 are aligned in hopper 15 so that said covered cannula ends thereof are all directed to the left as viewed in FIG. 1. Similarly, the medicament reservoir (not shown) is filled with the medicament with which it is desired that the cartridge units 19 be filled, and the filling station cylinder is selected to provide the desired cartridge unit filling capacity and rate and extent of withdrawal of the feed nozzle. The feed source (not shown) for the stoppers 249 is also loaded. If desired, the lower end of chute 69 at Station No. 4 may be provided with a moving belt (not shown) to carry the filled and stoppered. cartridge unit to a point for manual or mechanical packaging.

Prime mover 13 may then be energized by means (not shown) to cause rotation of shaft 35, and (via shaft 46, coupling 45, shaft 43, pinion 44 and gear 36), the driving of the intermittent drive means in gear box 23. Index table 8 is thus caused to rotate intermittently for moving one receptacle 56 at a time to each of Stations Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, seriatim, as described hereinbefore. Rotation of shaft 35, and with it, rotation of main drive shaft 48, also causes (via bevel gear 88 and respective pinions 91, shafts -90, pinions 92 and 92', shafts 93, couplings 95 and shafts 97) rotation of the camming cylinders 12 and .14, as well as the camming cylinder (not shown) associated with the filling Station No. 2. At the same time, eccentric mechanism 118-127, which is also driven by the gearing just described, actuates, via. piston rod 117, 117', the ejector mechanism -116 of hopper 15, whereby a single cartridge unit .19 at a time is moved horizontally into the cartridge holder 158. Thereafter, the loaded cartridge holder 158 is moved to the vertical position (shown in phantom in FIG. 4) so that it is over, and in alignment with, a receptacle 56 in intermittently rotatable index table 8, which at this time is synchronously stationary at The Loading Station No. 1. With cartridge holder 158 and receptacle 56 in the stated alignment, loading plunger 169 is actuated by rack and pinion mechanism 170, 179, which, in turn, has been driven by camming action of the upper guideway 138 on roller 173. As a result, loading plunger 169 moves downwardly to urge the cartridge unit 19 in holder 158 in the same direction against the frictional grip of the fingers 160 of said holder and into receptacle '56, until the shoulder 274 of the cartridge unit 19 abuts the upper surfaces of the bifurcated support 57, which, at this time, is maintained therebeneath by its reciprocating mechanism referred to above.

It will, of course, be understood that although a specific and preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above in detail, many changes and modifications may be made, and said invention embodied in widely different forms, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, in its broadest aspects coming within the langauge or scope Of any one or more of the appended claims. Merely by way of example, the actuating mechanism ejecting the cartridge units from hopper 15 at Station No. 1, may utilize a camming cylinder similar to those shown for the other stations. All or some of the camming guideways of the several stations may, in some instances, be consolidated on a single drum or cylinder. Other synchronously actuating mechanism may be employed instead of those disclosed herein. Lost motion linkages or connections may be employed for one or more of the several pistons to minimize applied forces, as desired. Instead of gearing, belt and/or friction drives may be utilized where suitable. Other structural modifications having equivalent functions will additionally suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for handling cartridge units, open at one end and closed at the other, said apparatus comprising: a horizontally disposed rotatable index table, means for rotating said table intermittently, said index table having means providing a plurality of vertically disposed receptacles mounted in a circular array with each receptacle adapted to receive and retain a single cartridge unit at a time with the open top thereof disposed upwardly; a loading station, said loading station comprising a hopper adapted to contain a plurality of cartridge units stacked horizontally with the open ends thereof oriented in the same direction, means operatively associated with said hopper for ejecting a single cartridge unit at a time horizontally from said hopper; a cartridge unit holder, means mounting said cartridge unit holder for movement from a horizontal position in alignment With said horizontal ejection means operatively associated with said hopper for receiving a cartridge unit therefrom, to a vertical position in alignment with one of said receptacles of said index table; and means for ejecting a cartridge unit from said cartridge unit holder into one of said receptacles of said index table with which it is aligned, when the cartridge unit holder is in a vertical position,

2. A device for transmitting a plurality of open-topped cartridge units one at a time to an index table, said device comprising: a hopper adapted to contain a plurality of open-topped cartridge units stacked horizontally with the open tops thereof aligned in the same direction, said hopper having a low point to which the cartridge units gravitate; ejection means for ejecting one cartridge unit at a time horizontally from said low point of said hopper;

an index table, said index table having a plurality of receptacles each adapted to receive and maintain a single open-topped cartridge unit with the open top thereof disposed upwardly; cartridge holder means adapted to receive one cartridge unit at a time from said ejection means of said hopper; actuating means for moving said cartridge holder from a horizontal position in alignment with said ejection means for receiving a cartridge unit ejected horizontally therefrom, to a vertical position in alignment with one of said receptacles of said index table; and plunger means for ejecting a cartridge unit from said cartridge unit holder into one of said receptacles of said index table with which it is aligned, when the cartridge unit holder has been moved to a vertical position.

3. A device for transmitting a plurality of open-topped cartridge units one at a time to an index table, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said ejection means, said actuating means and said plunger means are synchronously driven by common driving means.

4. A device for transmitting a plurality of open-topped cartridge units one at a time to an index table, as claimed in claim 3, wherein said common driving means comprise a single camming cylinder operatively associated with said actuating means and said plunger means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,915,200 12/1959 Roeber 214-1 EDWARD A. SROKA, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

